Airglow
by WheezingAngels
Summary: Meandering down a road outside of Bangalore, the last thing Ophelia thought she was going to find was a half-naked man passed out in a ditch. Something told her to help him out, and one day she finds herself ripped from her home and taken to a government airbase against her will. In the end she's not sure if she regrets not walking past him, or if it was worth it.
1. Altruism

**Altruism**

Nodding her head, Ophelia tapped her fingers on the steering wheel while music pounded through her chest from the speakers. Not seeing the broken cement in front of her left wheel, she crashed over it. Hearing the wheel blow up she immediately pulled her red Volkswagen over. Turning everything off Ophelia jumped out of the car, her heart in her throat. Being stranded in the countryside surrounding Bangalore was anything but a prime adventure.

Bending down to glare at the broken rubber Ophelia sighed with her hands on her hips. Reaching into her Rabbit she pulled out a thin sweater to throw over her shorts and tank top. Running her hand through her copper hair she frowned at both ends of the road, not spotting any cars or dwellings. Reaching back into the car to pull out her purse and keys, Ophelia checked her phone. No service in this stretch either.

As much as she loved India, it was the only spot in Asia she didn't want to have zero bars in, especially alone. Going through her car she packed two days worth of clothes and essentials, not sure where she would find a tow-truck. After heaving a large sigh Ophelia locked her car and started off down the road with her iPod in her ears.

After walking about an hour, she came across a man laying in the ditch, shredded pants the only thing still clinging to his body, a broken backpack clutched to his hairy chest. His hairy _sunburnt_ chest. "What's a Caucasian hobo doing in rural Bangalore?" Ophelia asked aloud, tapping his leg with her sandaled foot. This stirred him and she jumped back a bit, not wanting to risk it.

The man groaned and drew his arm over his face, running his hands along his jaw after a moment. He looked up and froze when he saw her standing there with her hodgepodge collection of bags. Without a word Ophelia tossed down one of her water bottles, and watched as he gulped it up swiftly and with hunger. Laughing lightly at him, she offered her hand to help him up. "_Do you know where I can find a hotel? Or a phone? Or a tow-truck? My wheel blew up._" Speaking in fluent Bengali she helped him out of the ditch, his face was still in shock.

The man shook his head and waved his hands at her, "_Not safety to assist men that are strange._" He stood there with his eyes down, holding together his pants and backpack. Laughing at his broken Bengali Ophelia bent down and opened her carpet bag, pulling out her huge flowered shawl she wrapped it around his shoulders.

"It's a little fabulous I know, but better than you standing in shame until we can get you some clothes, and a bath." Ophelia spoke English lightly as she took his hand and began walking with him down the road again.

"You speak English very well, but I should get going." This time it was her turn to shake her head.

"Buddy, you're not going anywhere." Ophelia pushed him in front of her and kept him walking.

"Shouldn't you be a little more cautious? I could be a crazy person." His soft voice stirred something in her, something deep and hidden away. Ophelia's brows furrowed as she spun around to look at him. His brown eyes looked at her in such sadness is made her sigh.

"With eyes that broken you couldn't hurt a fly. Besides, I carry a gun." She winked at him and they continued to walk.

When they finally came across a small gas station, Ophelia sent out a truck to pick up her car. With a huge weight lifted off her shoulders she led the man to the motel room she rented until her car was fixed. "I think this is a bad idea." The mans soft voice rippled through her again as he looked down at the double bed. She closed the door and dropped her bags on the dresser, running her hand through her long straight hair she scanned the room.

"Kindness is never a bad idea, you should jump in the shower. You'll have to wear a robe until my car gets here, I've got some man clothes hidden in my trunk I'm sure." Giving him another smile she lifted her hand to his, "I'm Ophelia, but everyone calls me Ava."

The man took her pale freckled hand in his large slightly tanned one, "I'm Bruce."

He smiled back at her and she pointed at the shower again, "Well Bruce, you should go wash off, I'll be dealing with the mechanic, looks like they just pulled my baby in." With that Ophelia walked out the door, leaving Bruce staring at his hand. What was that feeling he just had? Almost like the Beast was_, happy?_

After Bruce had thoroughly enjoyed his warm shower, he walked out into the main room in a towel. Using a smaller one to dry his hair he looked out the window just in time to see Ophelia smile and wave at him before opening the door. Tossing him a shirt and some sweat pants she plopped down on the bed. "The owner says he'll have the tire by tomorrow at noon, then we can be on our way." Noticing his shaking hands, she took the shirt back quickly.

Bruce stared at her in shock as she pulled the shirt over his shoulders and began to button it. Pausing for a moment, she stared at him, licking her lips quickly at his strong chest. "Actually that burn looks like it hurts," she walked over to one of her bags and rummaged through. Finding her Aloe Vera, Ophelia turned back to Bruce. Shaking the can she began to spray and Bruce let his head fall back with a sighing groan. She giggled at him and finished buttoning his shirt, "that should do you until you can rub the other aloe on it, it's too tender right now."

Ophelia turned her back and moved to close the curtains so he could pull on the pants. With laughter in her voice she turned back to look at him now dressed, "Nothing matched and you have to go commando, but tomorrow we'll get into Bangalore and I'll buy you a new wardrobe and some essentials.

Bruce smiled at her meekly, "That's very kind, but why would you do that?"

Ophelia shrugged at him walking over to her bags, "I dunno, you seem familiar. I hope you don't mind music." Pulling out a small speaker, which apparently packed a punch, she turned on her iPod. Trying to hold his composure, for some reason the Beast inside him was roaring to be let out, he opened his mouth to speak.

"Where do you get all the extra money?" It was just the question he popped out, she never missed a beat to his defeat though. Ophelia took a moment to lean against the dresser and run her fingers through her tousled hair.

"I've got a lot of girlfriends around Europe and Asia, so I've been travelling and supplementing my trust fund by stripping." That explained a lot, Bruce rolled his eyes. "As you can guess, my girls are also strippers. They get me gigs in the place I'm at for the time I'm there."

The two made eye contact, "But I mostly do it for fun! And it's easier to pick up chicks when you know which ones are clean." Ophelia let out a loud laugh and Bruce's eyes grew large.

He squeezed the bridge of his nose between his thumb and finger, "This is too much for me."

Ophelia laughed again and he felt her hands run across his shoulders, looking up she was standing in front of him with a smile. "Don't be like that Brucie, I'm not just some dumb twenty five year old. I'm learning cultures and languages the right way, by living in them!" Back up from him she kept speaking, "I've got a cushy job back in the States for me once I'm done my adventuring."

Ophelia kept playing music until the sun went down, Bruce had already passed out on the bed. Turning off the music and slipping her laptop into her bag, Ophelia stripped off her shorts and bra and slid into the bed beside him. Bruce let out a sigh and she felt his heavy arm wrap around her, she let him pull her close and snuggled into him happily. She shrugged it off due to her level of tiredness, but she swore he had doubled in size.

xx

_Ophelia was confused, she was terrified, but she didn't know why. A great tremble tore through the grass beneath her feet. Turning in the direction she came face to face with what appeared to be a huge green monster far afield. With an angry roar from the Beast, she wrapped her arms around herself and huddled down. Just as Ophelia looked up to see where it was then, a huge green fist grabbed her and threw her across the field. Landing in the tall crash, she stood with only slight pain in her ribs. Ophelia looked back into his raging eyes, tears falling from her own. She felt fear anew as she green beast in front of her roared again and lunged at her._

xx

The next morning she woke up with a gasp, and found herself alone. At the sound of the door opening she turned her head and pulled her gun from under the pillow. Bruce stood there with his hands up and a bag in one. "Don't shoot! It's just me, I brought breakfast!" Letting out a sigh, Ophelia let her hands fall to the bed as she slammed her head back on the pillow.

"Man, I could of_ killed_ you!" He walked over to her and handed her a container that smelled like eggs.

"I've seen trained soldiers with shittier reflexes than that, and I hope you don't mind I charged this to the room." Ophelia lifted her head to make eye contact with him. "But don't worry I'll work it off." Bruce sat down on the bed to hand her a takeout container and a fork.

Sitting up she smiled at him and patted his large hand, "No worries Brucie," HIs face felt warm and a shy smile passed his lips as Ophelia took her hand back to begin eating. Bruce paused for a moment, relishing in the warmth that had passed through their simple touch. The serenity he felt as he popped open his own container was more soothing than any he had felt in a long time.

Later that day, they had packed up their room and were on their way in Ophelia's now repaired car. Bruce's knees hit the dash as he slid in, at his discomforted grunt she chuckled a little, "Sorry about that, but your chair doesn't go back any further, neither does mine." Bruce looked at her toned but voluptuous legs, they filled almost the whole space under her seat.

"How do you_ drive_ this thing?" He asked in amazement, again her laughter chortled through the vehicle, making him relax automatically.

Ophelia turned to him, "Lots of practice. My dad had this boy shipped over in the eighties, and I fell in love with him at first sight." Running her fingers along the furry zebra stripped steering wheel her face softened in reflection.

After Ophelia had gone into a clothing store and bought Bruce some essentials they pulled up to an expensive looking hotel. Bruce placed his hand on her wrist as she pulled into the underground garage. "I appreciate what you've done to help me, but this is a little extravagant." Ophelia smiled at him and got out of the car, he followed suit, tossing his new ruck sac over his shoulder and she grabbed a couple of her own bags out of the trunk and hit the alarm button on the car.

"I'm pretty spoiled." Ophelia signed into the hotel at the front desk and they gave her a key to a small apartment on the top floor. "My parents died when I was ten, and a family friend saw potential in me." Ophelia laughed loudly as they boarded the elevator. "So they hooked me up with an amazing trainer, she's only a few years older than myself and I caught up quite quickly. But unlike her I wasn't ready to, uhm..." She gave Bruce a sideways glance, "Let's just say I wasn't ready to settle in, so they gave me leave to travel and gain more knowledge and associates."

Bruce reached out and grabbed her bags, if he was going to accept her charity he would try to do his part. Ophelia shrugged and gave him a smile as they left the elevator and began to walk down a hallway. Ophelia turned to him just as she reached for the knob to their rooms, giving him a once over. "A government thing."

Bruce gave her a suspicious look, but before he could open his mouth she pushed the door open. The apartment was more that he could afford to live in normally, let alone rent for however long. Ophelia walked over to the door on the right of the little kitchenette, "There are two bedrooms, each with it's own private bath. I'm not sure what's on the television, I don't really watch it much."

Without closing her door, Ophelia began to run a bath. Coming back into the room to grab her bags, Bruce shook his head at her slowly, "I'm going to hop in the shower." Ophelia nodded and flashed him a smile while she took off her cardigan and walked back into her room. The beast inside him ignored the strange information she was giving, and just let out a primal growl at her. Bruce had never heard him make such a sound and it worried him.

Bruce moved towards the opposite bedroom and caught sight of her undressing in front of the bureau in her room. She wore a matching black lace bra and panties, they perfectly shaped her hourglass body and made him sigh. As Ophelia unhooked her bra, her chest swelled and bounced slightly, making Bruce groan. She turned away from him and raised her hands above her head to stretch, giving him a perfect view of the way the panties accentuated her backside. He yearned to run his fingers along her soft skin, but instead turned away to take a shower. A very cold one.

Standing in the shower Bruce gripped his hand on the wall beside the shower head, his head hanging and the water pouring over him. Ophelia's figure in his mind had now become a naked one, much to his displeasure. Waking up in that ditch he thought she was an angel, he didn't realized he had survived swallowing a bullet. But the state of his clothes proved the other guy had made an appearance. He expected the next few weeks to be the most unstable of his life, the monster inside him wanting to lash out after being attacked.

He felt like a raw nerve, like he was a wraith, only going through the motions. He had reached his end and felt like a walking deadman, then to only wake up to an angel leaning over him. That combined with the way Ophelia made the Hulk feel he let her do whatever she wanted with him. Standing in the cold cascade of water, he wished she would take her sudden familiarity further. At this thought the Hulk let out a wild growl, it erupted in his own chest. Angrily he clasped his hands over his mouth and turned off the shower.

After they had cleaned up and Bruce tried to regain some composure, he came up behind her as she was typing away on her small laptop. She quickly closed the screen she had up and turned to smile at him. "Would you like to go down and check out the restaurant?" Bruce's eyebrows came together in a frown, but she grabbed his hand and her purse and pulled him into the hall.

Without speaking another word to each other they found their way to the small restaurant off of the lobby. Ophelia skipped over to the large windows giving a view of the lake that ran through the woods behind the hotel. As they sat down a tall young man walked up to their table, "Hello I am Demitri, I will be your waiter this evening." He had jet black hair and you could see the lines of his muscles through his white buttoned shirt.

While they ordered Bruce watched as Ophelia licked her lips and took him in. Dimitri was laying the flirting on heavily before he went off to place their order. Ophelia bit her lip as she watched his tight ass walk away, "God Damn Brucie, if all men looked like that I would never close my legs." She laughed darkly and Bruce just smiled awkwardly at her.

"I thought you were a lesbian?" Bruce's voice was choked as he tried to rein in the beast. His throat felt tight and his hands clutched the side of the table in turns.

Ophelia laughed lightly at him, "a few ladies, a few men. It's really whoever strikes my fancy." She gave him a wink and he changed the subject quickly. Her eyes scrunched up at him as he spoke, her hand reached out to rest on his. "Relax Brucie," her words combined with the soft touch had his shoulders relaxing and a sigh to shiver out of him. Bruce needed to know how she was calming him down, but he was thankful.

Their conversation was vibrant and they seemed to get along like old friends. They had quite a few things in common Bruce found. Ophelia was really starting to wear on him, he kept catching himself staring intently at her fingers, her lips, her neck. Ophelia glanced over at Dimitri again, she was definitely going to take him home tonight. "So they don't mind being used and left?" At Bruce's words Ophelia turned to him offended.

"Bruce, I don't use people! They are all very special to me, I just never fell in love with anyone. I want the kind of love that could last centuries." Her eyes glazed over as she stared out at the water beside them, "The kind of love that reaches through a hundred galaxies to burn ones heart." She quickly looked back at him, her blue eyes burning with lust. "But I've had a hell of a time trying to find that person."

Bruce made sure Ophelia had gotten safely into the flat before he took off down the street to find a grocery. Coming back into the apartment with two bags of real food he found clothes scattered across the floor. Bruce set the bags down on the counter and walked around it to the living room.

Hearing soft moans coming from Ophelia's bedroom, Bruce snuck across the apartment to peek through the door. Expecting to see her alone, he was surprised when the man named Dimitri from the restaurant was on top of her. Bruce watched as Dimitiri's muscled back moved with each thrust, Ophelia's breath hitching every time. Her voice rang through his head and made his body tighten in anticipation for each sweet octave.

He licked his lips as her legs were lifted up high by Dimitri's strong hands. Bruce gripped the door frame when Dimitri ran his fingers along her slick skin while spreading them slowly. Once Ophelia's legs were almost straight apart, Dimitri began to pound furiously into her. Ophelia started to scream passionately and lifted herself up slightly, much to his horror she looked over and made eye contact with Bruce.

He went to back away, but Ophelia's lips let out such a sweet moan, her eyes glossy as they burned into him. She rose herself up completely while Dimitri continued his rough pace, wrapping her arms and legs around him she continued to moan loudly while holding Bruce's gaze. Her breasts shook with every gruff movement, her back arching and her hair swaying wildly. Bruce ignored the fast beat of his heart, his body becoming drenched with sweat and his loins stirring hotly.

As Bruce watched, Ophelia reached her climax staring into his eyes. Her whole body shuddered and Dimirti soon followed loudly. When finally Dimitri rolled her over to being again from behind Bruce took off running from the apartment. The Beast roared inside of Bruce's head, Bruce cried out, his heart pounding in his head as he ran outside of the fire escape. He barely made it to the woods outside the hotel before he changed. Screaming into the pillow, Ophelia heard a faint roar from outside as she reached her second powerful orgasm.

xx

The next morning Bruce woke up to the sound of the front door closing and Ophelia turning on the stereo in the living room. He had come home fairly early, but was as rested as he could be after running around the woods all night. His chest ached the most, but he didn't remember hurting himself. The smell of bacon floating into his room as Ophelia began to sing along with the music.

Walking out into the living room in a tee-shirt and pyjama pants she had bought him, he found her dancing around in tiny shorts and a tank-top making breakfast. Bruce sat down at the kitchen island and pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose. Ophelia turned to him with a full plate and giggled, "Out drinking last night Brucie?" Setting the plate down in front of him she placed her elbows on the counter and leaned her face into her hands.

Bruce gave her a weak smile as he put on his glasses, "Sort of, I assume you had a good night while I was gone?"

Ophelia laughed and stood up to grab her own plate, she sat beside him and they began to eat. "I'm sure you already know the answer to that." Turning his head to look in her eyes, they held the same fiery passion they showed him last night.

With a sigh he ran his fingers through her long hair, still slightly moist from her morning shower. Ophelia's eyelids narrowed softly, her face looking peaceful. "I have a secret to tell you Dr. Banner." her lips smiled as she whispered to him. Taking his hand from her hair she took it in her own and gave it a little squeeze.

"What would that be Miss. Simmons?" Bruce asked playfully, Ophelia smiled at him through her eyelashes. Panic crushed her bravery and she let out a heavy sigh. "I didn't pay for that bacon," she bit her lip and laughed darkly. "I batted my eyelashes and flashed a little flirty cleavage, and he missed it on the ring through.

Bruce chuckled, "I hope you didn't do it on purpose."

Ophelia stood and traipsed over to the fridge, "Of course not Brucie, don't want to break your little heart." Bruce smiled, looking down at his place without moving his head. When his eyes flicked back up, he saw his own sadness reflected in Ophelia's eyes. Then she turned, placing the bottle of orange juice back in the fridge and sitting down beside him.

The air between them was awkward for the first time since their initial meeting. Suddenly Bruce turned back to her, grabbing the sides of her face. Ophelia looked at him wide eyed, then he placed a soft kiss on her lips. The Beast purred deep inside of him. It threw fear down his body, Bruce gasped and jumped up.

Ophelia looked up at him with sadness in her eyes. He stammered out an apology, reaching up to press his fingers to his neck. Bruce let out a low breath and turned quickly. Ophelia called out after him, standing to follow. Bruce shut the door quickly behind him, locking himself inside the dark bedroom.

xx

Another city, another random excuse for Ophelia to tote Bruce along with her. Another white lie as to why Bruce wanted to stay with her. He sat on the edge of his bed, looking to the left at Ophelia's matching double. She had gone out 'working', which meant as Bruce sat brooding in the darkness she was taking her clothes off for strangers to oogle her.

Rage burned through his chest as he tried to calm down. He hadn't had an episode in over a month thanks to the medications he was experimenting with, he assumed. Guilt held him as he knew it was the money she was earning that paid for his drugs, food, lodgings. _No, don't trail down that thought again. We can do this. Breathe. Find your Zen Bruice._

Letting out a sigh he stood and pulled his coat on. He wandered outside the motel for a while before just letting his feet take him down the sidewalk. His thoughts were muddled and his chest felt tight just trying to think of other things. The cool night air was helping but not enough.

Ophelia stood on the noisy old bus alone, her head down and her fingers typing out texts to the very girls she had just left. A group of men sat in the back of the bus, just a few seats from where she had been standing. They leered at her and cat called rudely. She was adept at ignoring them and just pulled her oversized coat tighter around her body. The irony of what they were saying wasn't lost on her as her bikini ties poked out the top of her jogging pants. She plugged her headphones into the jack on her phone and quickly left the bus.

Checking behind her, she made sure the men stayed on the bus. With a relieved sighed she continued down the street. Taking the next left she saw a figure looming down the block. It sauntered towards her in a familiar stride, and after a few more steps Ophelia was pulling a headphone from her ear. "Doctor Banner!" She called, waving a hand. His brown mop turned up quickly to look in her direction. Guiltily she saw a flash of fear in his eyes until he recognized her.

Bruce jogged to catch up to her before stopping right in front of her. "Do I have to answer some riddles before I can continue on my way?" Ophelia giggled slightly, Bruce just flashed her an exasperated smile. "What on earth are you doing wandering around at_ four in the morning_?" She asked as he moved so they could start walking back the way he had come. "The frigging sun is almost up." Bruce stayed silent for a few more breaths before slowing his pace to catch her eye.

"I want you to stop stripping." His gentle request had her stopping in her tracks. She fluttered her eyes and wheeled on him.

"Hold on," she said shocked, "_Huh?_" Bruce sighed, rubbing his nose before letting his glasses fall back down to his face. He held his hand out towards the sidewalk and they started back on their way. Ophelia hoped there wouldn't be anymore interruptions.

Clearing his throat awkwardly, Bruce stole side glances at Ophelia's now fuming frame. "I just think it's too dangerous…" He let out a shuddering sigh, trying to reign in his temper. Bruce just wanted to scream at her, to shake her until she understood. But he couldn't think like that, it wasn't Ophelia's fault he was, well, what's the word for it.

A little crazy.

That worked.

"Dangerous for me, or you Brucie?" Ophelia shot him a glance, pulling out her keys as they walked across the motels parking lot. He looked down at the asphalt under his sneakers, a blush forming on the top of his ears. Shaking his head, he heard the click of the lock and followed her inside.

"You don't need to answer, I get it." The bathroom door was left ajar as the water was turned on so they could still talk. Bruce retook his place on the end of his bed. Ophelia started humming a song while splashing the water around until she found the right temperature. "I'll check my account when I'm done and then we can figure it out." She called, he could hear her clothes hitting the floor. A brief paused for her to pull her hair up and she dipped her foot in the warm water.

Bruce sighed, leaning back and letting his eyes roam to the ceiling fan. "I don't know why…" he began, but Ophelia quickly cut him off.

"No worries," she piked, "I understand, just get some sleep and we can talk about it in the morning." Pulling himself off the bed, he smiled softly and began to pull off his wrinkled clothes. For whatever reason, he felt immense relief at not having to explain his awkward emotions to her.

But that probably posed another question.

As Bruce slipped between the sheets in his pyjamas, his eyelids felt heavier than they had been in a long time. His mouth opened to say something else to her, but the thoughts left his head and he fell into an almost drug induced sleep. From the tub Ophelia felt him slipping unconscious. As his snores filled the air she smiled and let her face dip under the water.


	2. Adjuvant

**Adjuvant**

The soft melody of classic pop floated over Ophelia's head from the PA system. The air conditioning in the supermarket had goose bumps forming on her freckled skin. She stood frowning at a large selection of potato chips, tapping her long fuchsia nails on the cart handle. Not needing to worry about budgeting, as she had cracked open, quite illegally, her trust fund. Ophelia opted for about three bags of chippy goodness.

Moving down to where she had seen Bruce stalk off to, she leaned heavily on the cart and jumped up every few steps to ride it down the aisle. A few people gave her looks and she just grinned. Not working anymore she had to do something for fun. Rounding the corner, no feet on the ground, she spotted Bruce in the pharmacy section mulling over mood relaxants. "What's up Doc?" She giggled pulling up behind him.

He turned around to look in the cart and frowned at all the junk food. "You even have cake," he chuckled softly, "shouldn't you be buying real food?"

Ophelia rolled her eyes and gave him a little nudge. "Of course, I'm just not in the real food aisle yet princess." She laughed at his crooked smile as he reached to put a box of pills into the cart. Snatching it up from him, she read the label. "Baby," she looked up at him, "You don't need this shit, I've got something a whole hell of a lot better." Bruce frowned as she tossed the box back on the shelf.

"Like what? I'm a doctor remember."

Ophelia laughed, taking off down another aisle, "You'll see!"

After spending ten minutes discussing the pros and cons of which noodle to used for spaghetti, they finally made their way to the check-outs. "Would you be kind enough to divulge the secret formula?" Bruce whispered playfully as he bagged what she was paying for. Ophelia laughed out loud, drawing a few peoples attention.

Bruce's head shrunk down quickly and he made busy collecting all the bags. Although he had to admit sometimes she really stressed him to the edge, he was doing really well. With a grunt he settled the groceries into the small trunk. Ophelia slipped into the front seat and rummaged around in her purse. He couldn't quite put his finger on it but when Ophelia was around he felt so at peace.

Opening his own door he was hit with a smell he hadn't been around since college. "Is that cannabis?" Bruce looked at her wide eyed while sitting in his seat, closing the door and cracking the window. Ophelia giggled and handed him the brown cigarette. He sighed and took a couple puffs.

"Oh look at you Doctor Banner!" Ophelia laughed, pulling out of the parking lot. "You're just an old pro aren't you?" They shared laughter as Bruce felt his body relax and his eyes dilate. The troublesome duo spent the afternoon and well into the evening talking about nothing and everything at once. By the time they had crawled into their perspective beds, they had made a good dent in Ophelia's pile of junk food.

xx

Bruce sat reading in the armchair of yet another hotel. Ophelia sauntered out of her bedroom, running her hand through her hair. With a wild laugh that had Bruce jumping, Ophelia ran to the window. She grasped the pane with her hands, an excited giggle erupting from her. Standing and walking over to her, Bruce peered over her shoulder. "What' so exciting about a little rain?" He raised his eyebrows when Ophelia turned to smile up at him.

"I love when the sun is out during rain!" Ophelia looked down at herself, then took off towards the door. "Common Brucie, let's walk in the rain." Her voice was soft velvet when she reached the door. His chest tightened and he stifled a growl. When he reached for his shoes, Ophelia stopped him. "No, leave your shoes." Her hand rested on his, Bruce straightened up, bringing Ophelia with him.

She smiled, taking a good grip on his hand before pulling him outside. "Shouldn't you put some clothes on?" Bruce laughed lightly. Ophelia looked down at her short white nightgown. It's shoulders fell down her arms and only reached the very tops of her knees. Ophelia shook her head, pulling Bruce off the veranda of the motel.

Running with grins on their faces, Bruce let Ophelia pull him onto a wooded path beside the motel. No one was out in the rain and Ophelia began to spin with her head back. Her laughter relaxed him, the rain irritated him, and when she looked back to smile at him, he felt warm. Despite the fear deep inside him, Bruce walked up to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into him. Ophelia gasped just before their lips met. He felt his heart rate increase, Bruce moved to pull away.

Ophelia held fast, "No, it's okay, I like it."

Bruce shook his head, "No, you don't understand." Ophelia didn't hear his words, only kept pressing her lips to his. He moaned despicably into her kiss. A low growl erupted from his chest, pulling out into a roar as he lurched back from her.

"Bruce?" Ophelia gasped, her face etched with worry. "What's wrong?"

His body convulsed in pain as he heard his clothes rip. "_Run_!"

Bruce's mind reeled as she rushed towards him, "Calm down Bruce, it's going to be okay." He tried to push Ophelia away from him, tears springing into his eyes. She refused, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly. Bruce cried out in fear as they fell to their knees. Ophelia whispered soothingly to him, running her hand through his hair. His fear diminished, his breathing returned to normal, and the Beast, was almost, sleeping? His eyes began to feel heavy, Ophelia still soothing him. A last wavering look at her face, then Bruce's world was darkness.

Bruce woke with a start, realizing he was in his bed in the motel he tried to calm himself. Before he could do his breathing, a warm feeling washed over him and he instantly relaxed. Looking over to Ophelia's bed beside his own, he saw her sitting there. "I guess I need more practice," she shrugged.

Running a hand over his face, Bruce sighed. "What are you talking about?" He sat straight up, realizing what had happened outside. "Did you drug me?!" Bruce threw his feet over the edge of the bed.

Ophelia chuckled and waved her hands, "No way."

Bruce frowned, "Then why didn't I-?"

"Hulk out?" Ophelia asked darkly, letting her hands fall to her lap.

"How long have you known?" Bruce growled, "Did someone send you to spy on me?"

Ophelia sighed, "Of course not, I only just found out when we were outside. When I..."

Bruce lifted his face to look at her. "What did you do to me?"

Ophelia sighed, pulling open her purse that sat on the bed beside her. Taking out a hand-rolled she pressed it to her lips and lit it. "It's hard to explain."

Bruce coughed a bit, "Try me."

Ophelia smiled weakly, giving a nod. "I'm not an X-Man or anything, but I've got a small mutation. I can feel, alter, and control peoples emotions. It's almost like pure empathy, that's why I'm so personable." Bruce nodded, his eyes looking down as he thought to himself. "I reached into your psyche, I thought you were having a panic attack or something." Bruce smiled at her, reaching out to take the offered joint. "But then I saw..." Bruce let out a long breath, watching the white smoke curl around his face before handing it back.

"I think with more practice, I can learn to calm him immediately." Bruce looked down at his now shaking hands, he knew it was from excitement. "If you trust me, that is." Ophelia spoke quietly, her hands slipping into Bruce's. Their eyes met for a moment, and they shared a smile. "And I don't put so much pressure and knock you out."

xx

Holding hands, Ophelia and Bruce wandered through a Punjabi market. She would pull away for a moment to buy a cooked chicken, or a head of lettuce. Bruce's heart rate increased every time, instantly calming when she slipped her hand back in his. Crowds were never good for him but with Ophelia he managed. Bruce had been eyeballing a pearl bracelet when Ophelia handed him the bag of food. "I'm going to get lost." She smiled, they had made it to the end of the market, only a few steps from a patch of forest.

"What?" Bruce choked, caught off guard.

Ophelia pointed to the trees, "I'll be back to make dinner." Before he could protest, she had disappeared into the trees. With a sigh, Bruce turned to walk back to their motel.

When Ophelia had finally returned, it was well past eight. She slipped in the door quietly, thumbing off her boots and moving to the kitchenette. Bruce jumped off the couch, "Where were you! You've been gone for six hours!"

Ophelia laughed, pulling out the ingredients for supper. "Sorry hun, I fell asleep."

Bruce reeled, "Fe-fell asleep?!" He grabbed the sides of her face, "In the middle of the woods?!" He began to panic, his chest heaving and his eyes wild. Ophelia frowned, green eyes glaring at her from Bruce's face.

"Calm down." She whispered, hugging him close. Bruce's body began to relax, his hands sliding to press into her back. "Did you eat?" Ophelia's muffled voice asked from his chest.

Bruce shook his head, "No, I was..."

"Fretting?" Ophelia chuckled, Bruce pulled back to look at her face and laughed. Ophelia moved to turn away, but Bruce held her. "What is it Bruce?" Ophelia asked, looking up into his now brown eyes.

He smiled down at her, "I've got something for you." Ophelia smiled back, watching as he put his hand in his pocket. The bracelet he pulled out was a single strand of pearls, accented with a silver star dangling from the middle.

Ophelia lifted her eyebrows, not a very elegant gift. "It's adorable." She smiled, letting him clasp it to her wrist. Bruce almost puffed his chest up like a robin, Ophelia had to stifle a giggle as she turned back to the little fridge. Bruce walked back to the couch, pulling out his paperback and secretly watching Ophelia mull around the kitchenette. She had slipped her headphones on and was shaking her hips to a silent beat, her lips moving to the words. He guess R&B was on the menu, by the attitude with which she lip-synced.

xx

In another town, Bruce woke up to the sun pouring in the open patio door. With a groan, he rolled over and stuffed his face into the next pillow. Hearing sixties music, he lifted his head in confusion. A hand twirled around in the air, he saw it through the open door. The bracelet he had given Ophelia twinkled in the sunlight and her arm waved to the psychedelic beat.

Bruce smiled and lifted himself out of bed, shuffling over to the door he leaned out in only his boxers. She sat in the sunlight pouring through the trees in only a brown bikini, her hair pulled up into a messy orange bun. "What are you doing?" He asked groggily, Ophelia looked up at him with a huge grin.

"I may not tan, Brucie, but I can sunbathe."

Bruce laughed, crouching down beside her chair. "Not without two bottles of sunscreen you can't" He snickered, pointing to the bottles of spray and rub on sun repellant. SPF 100. Ophelia laughed, holding out the joint she was smoking. "So early?" Bruce asked with a half smile, taking the offer.

"Darling, it's past three." Ophelia purred, Bruce dropped his jaw.

"Really?!"

Ophelia guffawed clapping her hands as she laughed at his expression. "You slept all day love, you kept having night terrors." Bruce looked down, bouncing on his haunches. She took her own drag before handing it back to him.

Recalling last night with a frown, he remembered the cold sweats. Ophelia peeling his drenched pyjamas off him and trying to calm him in the dark. Her unwavering patience with his hysterics humbled him. The shaking fear paralysing him as she held him tight to her body. As if she had read his mind, Bruce felt Ophelia's hand push the dark curls from his forehead.

He looked up at her, she smiled softly at him. "Did you want me to make supper?" Bruce whispered huskily.

Ophelia rubbed her thumb on his cheek, "Nah, cooking is hard. Let's just get takeaway. That way we can just sit here and smoke." She turned her face back to the blue sky with a smile. "You've been really stressed lately anyway, better a little green then a lot."

Bruce laughed lightly at her dark quip. Ophelia let her arm fall against her forehead and brought the joint back to her lips. Standing, Bruce went back inside to find a phone book. Lifting the hotel receiver to his ear he ordered their favourites from a restaurant down the block.

xx

Ophelia was surprisingly talented when it came to helping him not just cage his beast, but to tame him and learn to flow with his urges. Bruce felt better than he had in a long time, free, tranquil. He was almost at peace with himself and it wasn't a coil of tension in his gut, he wasn't containing the Hulk, he was becoming one with him.

They were walking through a public park in Assam one night, Ophelia reached out and took Bruce's hand suddenly. She smiled up at him, "I think I've fallen in love with you Brucie." Her sweet whisper ghosted through his chest and warmed him.

His head dropped and he let out a chuckle, "I'm pretty old."

It was Ophelia's turn to chuckle, "Well if it helps my grandmother used to tell me I've lived for centuries."

Bruce raised an eyebrow at her, "Yeah okay, but I'm actually old enough to be your dad."

Ophelia laughed out loud, causing some nearby birds to fly off squawking. "Unless you were in Canada when you were sixteen I doubt it. And who cares? You're sexy." She giggled and winked at him, he smirked and shook his head while wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

Ophelia pulled him over to a patch of grass and made him lay down beside her to look up at the stars. After laying in silence for a while, she gave a stretch, "You're lucky you know."

Bruce looked at her, her face still looking up at the darkened sky, "How so?"

Ophelia laughed at him again, still holding her gaze on the stars. "You know what's lurking inside of you. I can feel this, this scream, building up inside of me, and I have no idea what it is. It truly terrifies me." Bruce's smile fell as she turned to look at him, her face the most serious he had ever seen. "It's part of the reason I didn't want to teach at Xavier's school."

"What makes you think that?" Bruce's throat was tight and his words came out as a whisper. Ophelia turned back to the stars with a sigh, he followed suit.

"As far back as my memory lets me go, I've lived in terror. I told you my parents died, but they were killed by humans." A heavy sigh whistled out of her, "I wanted to live with my grandmother, but Charles got to me first. He told me it wasn't safe with her, that she was being misled by an old friend of his. He had grown up with my Gran, she used to tell me stories about him." Ophelia turned back to make eye contact with him. "And since I met you, I've felt safer than I can remember."

Bruce swallowed loudly, wiping his palms on his shirt. He turned to his side and reached out to stroke her face. Ophelia closed her eyes and let out a small sigh, Bruce moved in to kiss her for the third time in ten months. After what felt like forever, but never enough, Bruce pulled away and checked his pulse. Surprisingly it was high, but he felt the beast inside him calm. Almost happy, purring inside his mind.

"We should head back, it's pretty late now." Ophelia's voice brought him back to the moment, she rose off the ground and began to walk back to the path. Bruce lingered a moment longer and gazed at the stars, his stomach twisting and his breath heavy. Then he heard her scream.

Jumping up and running in the direction Ophelia went in, he found her being dragged into a thicket of trees by a man dressed in black. She was struggling violently, and the man was trying to strangle her into submission. Ophelia saw Bruce running towards her, seeing the green tinge to his skin she screamed at him to turn back, to run away that she would be fine. This only made him all the more _angry_. His world went black as Ophelia's high pitched shriek blasted through his mind.

xx

Bruce woke up to the feel of wet hands running down his arms. His left his eyes closed, his entire body aching with the pain of near broken bones. The warm liquid dripping down his torso felt soothingly warm, a plush surface cushioning his bruised back. After slipping in and out of sleep for an unmeasurable amount of time, Bruce finally opened his eyes to see whether is was blood or water.

The lighting in the room was dim. A sniffle focused his gaze to his left. Ophelia was leaning over him with a warm cloth in her hand. Tears streamed silently down her face as she ran the cloth along his neck. Washing away the dirt and blood, the sweat and his tension.

"I wondered how such a sweet man could become something so angry." Ophelia's voice shook, Bruce sat up to wrap his worn arms around her shaking figure. He whispered soft beginnings of apologies into her tousled hair. Ophelia shook her head, wiping her eyes and pulling back from his embrace. Bruce looked at her in confusion. "Then you ran at me, went to grab me. I was so scared," Ophelia whispered. "I didn't know what would happen to me after what you did to that man. But you looked at me and asked if I was okay." Ophelia smiled weakly letting out a breathy laugh.

Running his hand over her head, Bruce laughed back with immense relief, letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Ophelia let herself slip down onto his chest, they laid holding hands on the warm carpet. After they both calmed, eyes half lidded and faces sore from laughing. Ophelia rose to her knees, "I laid out some clean pyjamas for you, you should rest after all that physical exertion." she smiled softly.

Before she could rise off the floor, Bruce lifted his torso. Wrapping his arms around her waist he pulled her back down to him with a gruff kiss. Ophelia let out a moan, her lips smiling against his. Bruce pushed her shirt over her head, meeting her eyes for the briefest moment before taking her lips again. He could feel Ophelia inside of him, almost like he felt the other guy, but she was a cool wash of air.

Realizing he was able to finally express himself, he rolled her over roughly onto the carpet. Ophelia gasped and Bruce made quick work of pulling off her shorts. Kissing her neck, he lifted her with a grunt. Stepping out of his shambles of pants, Bruce threw Ophelia on his bed. She laughed excitedly, unhooking her bra as she watched Bruce's naked form slipping her panties off. He moved up her body like a predator, his lips pressing to her inner thigh briefly as she gasped.

With desperation, Bruce pulled her into his arms and pressed himself inside of her. Ophelia let out a mewling cry at his swift entrance, her body rocking with his own quick movements. There was nothing gentle about him then, his breath pumping out with each thrust. Ophelia gasped and Bruce groaned, her legs wrapping around his waist.

His skin almost tinted green as he let out a roar in the dim light, but her thought was interrupted as he began to thrust even faster into her. Her small frame was wracked by his older body. Bruce was so quiet normally, trying to make himself small all day long, invisible. But when he unleashed his passion finally, for the first time in countless years, he was wild.

Bruce's body was uncurling like a bear after winter, his muscles rippled under the sheen covering his skin. Ophelia's eyes rolled back in her head, her hands clutching his impossible frame. She felt so inexperienced and fragile in his arms. Like she had never been loved before, never taken and all others before were laughable at this point. Ophelia cried out, her head falling back, her hair whipping his arms deliciously. She tightened around him, feeling impossibly full and stretched.

Bruce shuddered, releasing his ejaculate with a rolling groan. Ophelia let out a whimpering gasp, her own orgasm following shortly after. Bruce crushed his lips down on hers, tangling their tongues together until he spun Ophelia around onto her stomach. She gasped when his hands pulled her waist up. Ophelia was on her knees, her buttocks pressed into Bruce's moist loins and her chest pushed into the mattress.

Swiftly he took her again, his growls primal and her screams of pleasure delicacies to his ears. He had been lusting over her for almost a year, replaying what he saw that second night over and over in his head. In the throes of their passion he needed to feel her that way, to show her he was better at everything she had ever done. Ophelia's body shook through a second orgasm, Bruce pumping in earnest as she tightened around him. Her desperate whimpering driving him over the edge again.

Ophelia lay on her stomach, collapsed and barely able to move. Her eyes closed with a sigh as she felt Bruce's fingertips run along her back. "Did I hurt you?" His gruff voice whispered with concern from beside her. Ophelia turned her head to look at his face. Bruce lay panting on the other half of the bed, his chest heaving just as quickly as Ophelia's. She smiled and shook her head slowly.

Bruce pressed his lips to the skin of her back, whispering lovelorn words along the way. After a moment, Ophelia rolled over and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Bruce sighed and rested his head on her chest. His lips ran kisses along the wet skin of her breasts. Ophelia smiled and ran her fingers through his dark curls until she fell asleep.

xx

The smell of cooking ham woke her up the next morning. The crackling of the fat brought her out of her dream-scape. Sunlight smiled down at her through the now open window of the hotel room. Ophelia rolled over on to her side, her fingers traced the edges of the pillow her lover had slept on. With a stretch she lifted her torso off the bed and walked over to the dresser.

Ophelia grinned at the undisturbed bedding on what was meant to be her own. Pulling a pair of sweatpants and an oversized sweater onto her naked body, she walked over to where Bruce stood cooking. "Hmmm, smells great." Her voice was harsh, "God I sound horrific." Bruce laughed as she wrapped her hand around her throat.

"But you sounded great last night." She smiled at him as he laughed again, her eyes lowered to the plate he set in front of her. A small voice caused dread to creep through her mind. She had this feeling no where was safe, no one was safe with her, everyone she loved died. Bruce was a burning sun, filling her with warmth and sending her into serendipity. Her life was shaded in darkness, almost like the forest at night. Ophelia began to think she misread her own emotions. "Everything okay?"

Ophelia looked up at Bruce with a "Hmm?"

He stood in front of her, plate in hand, piling eggs on. His crooked smile coupled with raised eyebrows, "You're frowning awfully hard."

Ophelia chuckled, "Sorry, I'm fine." Bruce looked her up and down, Ophelia returned the favour with a lick of her lips. He walked over to sit with her, only wearing boxers. Sitting in the sunlight of an Indian morning. Eating eggs and ham with smiles on their faces. Ophelia resolved to fight whatever the fates meant for her. She wanted Bruce, whether it was in the cards for her or not. She would hold fast, and dammit she would go down fighting.


	3. Abberation

**_Glad you babies are enjoying Airglow so far! Please leave reviews as always! And know I update every couple weeks, writing takes time! xoxo_  
**

**Aberration**

Rubbing her eye furiously with her palm, she checked the clock on her phone again. It hadn't even been one minute yet. Ophelia growled angrily, fear pushing tears down her cheeks. The door of the hotel room opened and Bruce called her name. "I'm in the bathroom sweetie, I'll be out in a minute." Bruce called out a confirmation and she heard him sit down on the couch.

She had sent him out an hour ago for some dinner, and she had taken the whole hour to build up the courage to pee on a stick. It had been three months since they started having intercourse, and Ophelia just realized she hadn't had a period since. Then she realized they had never used protection.

With a groan she doubled over on the closed toilet seat, letting her hands fall to her sides. A chorus of 'don't be silly, wrap your willy' rang through her head. As a defensive manoeuvre she let out an awkward giggle. Bruce knocked on the door, making her jump. "You sure you're alright Ophelia?"

Her heart pounded in her chest as she stood to look at the pregnancy test. Ophelia's eyes widened and she opened the door. "What's that?" Bruce asked, pointing down to the stick in her hand.

"A baby." Ophelia's voice was shocked as she peered up at him. Her eyes round like saucers, voice vacant and Bruce could feel her white-out reaction. It lingered in the room like a sound, causing him to give his head a little shake and blink hard once.

Bruce laughed nervously, "What?"

Ophelia's tears began to flow again, "I'm so sorry Bruce, the doctors told me I couldn't have children, so I never..." Bruce cut her off briefly, wrapping his arms around her tightly. "The women in my family have to try for years to get pregnant, that's why we're all only children…" Panic filled her voice as she sobbed into his chest.

Bruce pressed his lips to her cheek shushing her and trying to stop her tears. "I'm not mad, don't worry." He pulled back and gave her a smile, "with how much you've helped me, I think we'll be just fine."

xx

_The air around Ophelia was cloudy, her eyes squinting in confusion. A woman stood at the edge of a balcony looking down at the carnage of what looked to be a government building. The strong wind whipped her hair around, mirroring the wildness of the blond hair Ophelia was watching. Suddenly, Ophelia was standing on the edge, looking to her right at the almost mirror image of her own face. __The two women turned to look down into the abyss. Where everything began to fall apart. They closed their eyes, seeing their faces, they clasped their hands together. Their toes dangling over the edge, nearly tipping over. They balanced on the barrier of life and death together._

"Ophelia no!" Bruce's voice had her opening her eyes.

_"Ophelia?" The woman beside her asked, they stumbled. _Ophelia blinked and was standing in the dark, the night lights of Barasat in front of her.

"What are you doing? Please hunny, we can work it out!" Bruce's voice was filled with terror behind her. Ophelia turned her head to look at him in confusion. She felt herself topple again and Bruce lunged at her. Hitting the ground on top of him, Ophelia looked up at see she had been standing on the banister of the balcony.

Bruce held her tightly as she started to cry, clutching her swollen belly in fear. Ophelia sobbed as Bruce pushed the hair from her face. He picked her up and carried her inside, locking the patio door behind him. Bruce tucked her back into the bed, wrapping his arms tightly around her so she wouldn't get up again.

xx

"Have you ever been to Nepal?" Bruce asked quietly, running his fingertips along the taut skin of Ophelia's belly.

She smiled up at him, adjusting herself in his lap. "Nope." Ophelia pulled the shirt back over her swollen naval and stood. Grunting along the way, she waddled herself over to the bathroom. "Why?" She called out, leaving the door open slightly.

Bruce smiled from the couch, "There's early stages of an epidemic in the rural areas of Calcutta. I wanted to help out."

Ophelia dried her hands on the towel and came back out. "Sure, I saw a few cute villas for sale in the countryside."

Bruce shook his head, "Not with you, I don't want you getting sick." Ophelia laughed, her hand rubbing her belly. "Don't worry love, it's part of my mutation. The baby and I will be fine. You can't get rid of me that easily." Bruce smiled at her, lifting his arms. Ophelia grinned and settled herself on his lap, feeling bloated but happy.

Later in the morning Ophelia took a long look in the fridge. She was craving _something_ and all they had was leftover pizza and some slices of chicken. Waddling her way out to the balcony she found Bruce fast asleep with the laptop open on the table in front of him. Ophelia smiled and peaked at what he was reading. It seemed to be a document on the details of the illness he had told her about earlier.

Worry lined her face, it wrinkled her brow and had her reaching for her stomach. Ophelia reminded herself they were both going to be fine, she never even had the sniffles. Tucking stray hair behind her ear, she leaned over Bruce and pressed her lips to his gently. She felt him stir and his hand reached up to cradle the back of her head. Pulling away, Bruce let out a pleasant sound and smiled at Ophelia. "Would you like to take this inside?"

Ophelia giggled at him, standing straight and putting her hand on her hips. "Actually can we take this to McDonalds or something?" Bruce's eyebrows popped and he let out a chuckle. "I'm dying of starvation over here!" He stood and laced his fingers in hers, nestling a few more kisses along her face before Ophelia felt his whispered teases brush along her cheek.

The sun was hanging low in the sky by the time they made it downtown by foot. They walked hand in hand with grins on their faces. A rock found its way under Ophelia's sneaker and she stumbled. Bruce reached out and caught her before she could hit the pavement. The couple laughed at each other and pressed together until the crosswalk light changed. About halfway across the road Ophelia was assaulted by the screech of a car horn. Her eyes closed in terror and Bruce roared beside her suddenly.

Ophelia snapped her eyes open just in time for her to see him change. The Hulk's gigantic green hands grabbed the front bumper of the SUV about to smash into them. Ophelia cowered behind him as he lifted it up while people screamed around them. A rumbling roar slammed into her ears as he threw the vehicle two lanes over. The Hulk turned quickly to look at Ophelia. She could tell he was looking her over for injury, but all that went through her mind was the need to protect her child. Civilians rushed towards them, thinking they needed to save her.

The Hulk roared over her head at them, assuming they were a threat. Taking her chance, Ophelia ran. She ran faster than she thought she could. She ran from him for the first time since she had met him. Tears flew from her eyes as she found a thicket of trees, running through them she found herself in the middle of a park field. Blocks away, the Hulk was losing his steam and was slowly realizing his mate and unborn offspring were missing. Ophelia barely had the chance to catch her breath when she felt the ground tremble beneath her. She scrambled to hide behind some bushes but the Hulk sniffed her out in seconds.

He roared in her face with betrayal. He was scorning her for running from him. Ophelia felt the heat of his breath and the moisture from his mouth as he screamed at her. The veins in his neck popped and his eyes bulged. Sobs ripped out of her her as she looked up at him. Her hands clutched her stomach and she bawled under his hard gaze. Fear passed his face, Ophelia gasped as he ran from her suddenly. The pained look on his face smashed her heart while she watched him head for the trees.

Regaining her composure hidden in the bushes she finally wandered off to find a cab to take her back to the hotel. When she made it back to their room, she found Bruce naked and passed out in the tub. The patio doors wide open and she closed them before letting herself fall into their bed. Ophelia cried into the pillows for almost an hour before it roused Bruce enough for him to collapse onto the bed beside her with a plethora of apologies.

xx

Labour proved to be a whole new experience for both Ophelia and Bruce. The Other Guy would nearly surface, Bruce in a panic while Ophelia screamed she was going to have the baby in the bathtub. Bruce nearly begging her to call an ambulance, he was going to change and she couldn't be alone. Ophelia screeched back at him during her contractions that he would never get her near a hospital and it was final. Then the pain would ebb away, a collapsing silence in her body would have Ophelia panting and limp against the pillows.

Bruce would feel her calm, he would slump forward as she did and try to catch his breath. Between contractions she would sooth him, so that when she wretched in pain again he held firm to the fact that she would make it through. Little did the doctor know it was just the beginning of an ebb and flow of emotions and panics. Unlike most new parents, the emotional turmoil didn't start because of a colic baby. Ophelia's mutation was a godsend when it came to rearing Matilda. Bruce would wake in the middle of the night and see Ophelia singing to the child in the living room.

The turmoil was inside himself. It was in every shadow that seemed to be watching him. Every unknown face that could, in the breath of a second, take away the very thing that gave him life. At home Ophelia lived happily with their young daughter, her own life behind her and not of influence. Bruce could never escape his. It was worry such as this that had the lovers arguing in hushed voices. They stood in the kitchen, while Matilda sputtered around on the carpeted living room floor.

The child was a perfect mix of her parents. Rounded cheeks and sweet cherub face like her mother, freckles splattered across the tanned skin of her father. Curling hair that surprisingly was growing to her shoulders so young, a few shades lighter than Bruce's own curls. She didn't seem to show any sign of either parent's mutation, and Bruce was hoping no one would ever think to look. "Baby stop worrying," Ophelia cooed at her husband. "You can't keep looking over your shoulders for SHEILD agents."

"But there's still that risk," Bruce pleaded. His hands wrapped around Ophelia's, his worried gazed flipping between her and Matilda. "Can't you two just take a vacation?"

Ophelia scoffed and pulled her hands away from him. "Bruce, if you're having issues settling in to the husband and father role you need to voice them not try to lie your way out of this family." With a little huff, Ophelia stormed off red-faced into the garden. Bruce made to run after her, only to cut himself off while catching his daughter's eyes. The little cherub looked up at him almost expectantly.

"I don't want to lose you," Bruce whispered, hoping the child could pick up on his emotions. If even to have someone understand him in that moment. "I just want you two to be safe. Even if the dangers include me." His eyes squeezed shut with memories of his parents. The stark final memories making his body quiver and moisture to appear on his lashes. Leaning against the counter a soft sob pushed out. Bruce took in a shallow breath, and a felt a light tugging at his pant leg.

When Ophelia came back into the house, her arms laden with vegetables she picked from the garden, Bruce sat on the floor with Matilda sleeping happily in his arms. Ophelia whispered his name and jumped slightly when he looked up at her with tears slowly drying on his face. With a sigh she sat beside him, the vegetables forgotten on the counter. Her head rested on his shoulder and her long arms wrapped around his waist. "So does this mean you're going to stop being an ass?" Ophelia lifted her head to look at Bruce, their eyes met and he let out a snicker.

xx

A mad giggle came from Ophelia's feet, looking down she saw her daughter smiling up at her. "Now what are you after Matilda?" Ophelia smiled, bending down to pick her up. She was definitely Bruce's daughter, a head full of dark brown hair, an almost constant beaming smile. Not to mention she was a glorified baby Hulk, without the anger.

Ophelia gave Matilda a few kisses before she heard voices outside. Quickly turning the lights off she sunk down behind the kitchen island and listened. "What's that ring for Dr. Banner? I just noticed it." Ophelia's heart pounded in her ears, why would Bruce bring someone there? And how did she know his name, they used falsified identification

"Well, we didn't exactly get married," Bruce was replying. Ophelia turned and smiled at her frowning daughter, she raised her finger to her lips and Matilda smiled and copied. Best to make her think they were sneaking up on daddy again. Ophelia pulled open a high drawer on the island, lifting out a fully armed handgun.

Clicking off the safety, she held the gun by her hip and clutched Matilda tightly with her other arm. "She used her mother's ring, and made me this." Bruce pulled out his keys to unlock the door, Ophelia tensed to run. "But we've made a home here." The door opened and Bruce flicked the light on.

"Who's we?" At the women's question Ophelia stood quickly, Matilda shouting out a 'boo!' as her mother raised the gun.

"Doctor Banner?" The woman gave Ophelia a look of pointed exhaustion. She began backing towards the back door, rage heating up her cheeks as she held fast to her daughter.

Bruce moved towards Ophelia slowly, his hands raised. "Honey, it's okay, let me explain."

Ophelia snarled at him, "What are you doing? Bringing SHEILD here!" Bruce let out a shaking sigh, giving the stranger an apologetic look. "Bruce you may be able to defend yourself, but I can't and neither could my parents when they were gunned down by humans like_ her_."

"I am only here to acquire Doctor Banner for his knowledge of Gamma Rays. I am not here on a mutant related mission." The Agent spoke calmly, her face welcoming in attempt to sooth Ophelia's worries. "I'm Agent Nastasha Romanov." Ophelia still scowled but Bruce watched her shoulders untense slightly. He wrapped his hands around the gun gently, sliding it out of her fingers.

"Agent Romanov," Bruce beamed at her, excited to finally be able to introduce his family properly. "This is my wife Ophelia, and our daughter Matilda." He set the gun on the countertop to slip his arm around Ophelia's waist. "She just turned ten months old, didn't you sweetie?" Bruce cooed at the child, who responded by reaching out for him and giggling.

The small smile fell from Agent Romanov's face. Ophelia pressed closer to Bruce as the Agent lifted her hand to press a device in her ear. "We have a new situation," her tone was professional but Ophelia still started to shake in Bruce's grasp. "No nothing major, it appears Doctor Banner has both a wife and an infant daughter." The air hung heavy as the two of them waited for her to speak again. "Affirmative, they'll all come with me."

Ophelia's heart sank as the Agent nodded at them and let her hand fall. Slinging Matilda over to her other hip she stormed off down the hall to the single bedroom. Bruce followed her, "It's nothing bad." He tried to sooth her worries. Ophelia handed him the grinning child and began furiously slamming Matilda's belongings into a bright pink bag.

"It's always something bad," She growled, then zipped the bag shut. She lifted her finger and pointed it directly into Bruce's face. "I swear to you, if they so much as try to take a hair off my daughter's head, you'll fucking know it." Her voice was hard as steel, dripping with the purest anger he had ever heard.

A shiver ran down his spine, his hand clutched Matilda closer to him. "They want me to find a low level gamma radiation, it's got nothing to do with, the Other Guy." Bruce's voice was low, trying to calm his wife and not scare their daughter. Ophelia looked him up and down with narrow eyes, then turned back to pack their own bags

Twenty minutes later, and it was as if they had never been there. Personal items packed in bags and thrown over Bruce's shoulders. Ophelia slung the diaper bag onto her back and picked up Matilda, who was clutching her doll. Ophelia smiled at her, wrapping her up in her favourite blanket. Natasha smiled at them when they walked back out into the kitchen.

"Director Fury just wants you all to come in, for safe keeping." Natasha lifted her hand for them to leave the house.

Ophelia frowned and leaned into Bruce while they were walking out. "That's what they always say." Her voice and gaze were dark when Bruce turned to look at her. His hands shook as they were ferried onto a small jet.

xx

Ophelia struggled to keep her hold on a very excited Matilda as another jet landed on the Helicarrier. Bruce was wandering around ahead of them, clumsily but almost skillfully weaving around people. A tall man with blond hair addressed him, he stood with Natasha at the edge of the ship.

She bent forward slightly, taking both Matilda's hands and letting her stumble around in front of her. Ophelia smiled up at who she assumed was Steve Rogers when she reached the trio. "Mam." He nodded politely at her. Bruce introduced her, "I wasn't aware you were married." Steve spoke with surprise, Ophelia, not trusting anyone on SHEILD premises, quickly scooped her daughter up and stood straight.

"Neither were we Captain." Natasha spoke professionally, poking at Matilda's face affectionately. Ophelia looked into Natasha's eyes, they looked back at her with pain.

Rogers nodded, "Is this your daughter?" Ophelia narrowed her eyes at him, stepping slightly behind her husband.

Natasha stepped forward, "No harm will come to your family Ophelia."

The women held each others gaze again, "I know what you said _Agent_." Ophelia's eyes darted to Rogers and she held Matilda closer, the girl playing with her mother's hair. "But what SHEILD has in mind is completely different." Ophelia's voice was a growl as she slunk behind Bruce further, only stopping to keep her eyes on the pair.

Bruce cleared his throat, trying to change the subject. "Must be strange for you, all of this." He addressed to Rogers.

"Well," the man started, catching on. "This is actually kind of familiar." A group of soldiers marched past during their morning drill. Ophelia hissed at them and lurched away.

"You might wanna step inside in a minute." Came Natasha's voice, "It's gonna get a little hard to breathe." The Helicarrier's intercom started spouting information. A loud whirring and clunking sounded and the men looked over the edge of the ship.

"Is this a submarine?" Rogers asked.

Ophelia stiffened again, Bruce voicing her concern. "Really, they want me in a submerged pressurized metal container?" Ophelia peeked over the edge, propellers began spinning quickly and the world shifted as they were lifted into the air. "Oh no, this is much worse." Bruce turned back to her, his dark humour masking a new level of fear.

As the ship continued its ascension, Natasha led the newcomers into the bridge. Leaving them to observe; the men in awe, Ophelia on edge. The personnel are working busily, communicating over earpieces and receiving orders from Agent Hill. She pulled out to speak to Director Fury, receiving his orders and relaying them.

The Director turned then, addressing the men. "And Misses Banner." He spoke in a friendly tone to Ophelia, she frowned at him, her lips sealed shut and laced with an almost manic protectiveness. "Doctor, thank you for coming." Fury stepped forward to shake Bruce's hand.

"Thanks for asking nicely." He replied, his eyes roaming over to his wife. "So, um, how long are we staying?" Ophelia took her place behind Bruce again, knowing if anything went down, the Hulk would protect his mate and offspring.

"Once we get our hands on the Tesseract, you're in the wind." Fury replied. Ophelia wasn't comforted by his words as Bruce continued their conversation. Words were one thing, hidden plans and scientific interest were another. Ophelia was all too aware of the lengths to which SHEILD would go for the "betterment of mankind". Her ass.

Agent Coulson had joined in the conversation, Bruce giving him orders and laying out his plan of action. "Do you have somewhere for me to work?"

Director Fury turned back to Natasha, "Agent Romanov, would you show Doctor Banner to his laboratory please?" She walked back over to the group and the Banners followed her out of the bridge.

xx

Bruce was scanning Loki's scepter with a gamma detection device. Ophelia was leaning against the opposite counter to watch with a smile as Matilda followed her father's legs with a giggle and a grin. "The Gamma readings are definitely consistent with Selvig's reports on the Tesseract." He looked over his glasses at the screen, "But it's gonna take weeks to process."

Continuing with his scan, Tony Stark replied and elicited a chuckled from Ophelia's husband. "All I packed was a toothbrush." Bruce gave her a wink. Ophelia rolled her eyes with a smile and shook her head, the joke going way over her head. Tony tried to entice Bruce into coming to check out his Tower, ten floors of candy land.

"I'm sure Pepper would just_ love_ this one." Tony grinned and bent forward to give Matilda's brown curls a ruffle. Bruce awkwardly attempted to make a joke about his previous romp in New York. Ophelia's back straightened at the surge of pain that flowed from their connection. Tony picked up on her furrowed brow and gave her a weak smile.

"Well, I promise a stress free environment." Tony lifted his hands, a device in one, and walked around behind Bruce. Matilda waddled along behind him with a grin. "No tension, no surprises." He quickly jabbed Bruce in the rib and a shock shot through his body. He let out a growling "Ow!" and turned to look at Tony. Bruce held his hand against the spot and Tony just looked at his face in interest. "Nothing?"

Ophelia snorted, crossing her arms and watching Bruce chuckle a bit. Their smiles fell as Steve Rogers entered the room yelling at Tony. "Are you nuts?" Bruce went back to working on the scepter and Ophelia took the hint to pick up their daughter.

"Jury's out!" Tony shot at Steve, "You really have got a lid on it, haven't you?" He turned back to Bruce, "What's your secret? Mellow jazz, bongo drums, huge bag of weed?" This drew a loud laugh from Ophelia, Bruce looked up at her over his glasses and gave her a wolfish grin.

Steve, however, wasn't finding anything about the situation as hilarious. "Is everything a joke to you?"

Stark pointed the 'zapper' at him, "Funny things are." Steve wretched, looking over at Ophelia in worry. She just glared back at him, she could take care of her own.

"Threatening the safety of everyone on this ship isn't funny." He seemed to quickly rethink his comment and turned his gaze sideways for a moment, "No offence, Doc." Bruce still had a fleeting smile as he stuttered out his response. Ophelia was becoming agitated, not wanting to affect Bruce she left to quickly change Matilda's diaper and take a breather.

As she slowly walked back, letting Matilda waddle her way beside her, she heard Tony and Bruce speaking in soft voices. "It's different. Without Ophelia I'm a ticking time bomb." There was a pause, "Even though I know she's only down the hall, my chest is tight and I'm terrified."

Ophelia knocked on the door jam, "Baby, I'm just going to take Matilda back to the room and let you boys work." Bruce's shoulders sagged and she quickly walked over to give him a kiss. Matilda slobbered on his cheek and Ophelia pulled back to smile up at him. "Don't have too much fun." He smiled back weakly, watching with a sigh as she left again.

"Hey," came Tony's whisper as she left the room, "I read all about your _accident_." Ophelia frowned as she walked down the hall, glad she was avoiding the continuation of an awkward conversation. Matilda watched with big blue eyes as soldiers and personnel walking past them. After a few more turns Ophelia closed the door behind them with a disgruntled sigh.


	4. Apnea

**Final chapter! Hope you all enjoyed this little story. If Bruce is in more of the movies and I'm inspired I'll write some more, but as of now, we're all done here folks! Too bad my most popular story is so short haha! I never wanted to make a saga here, just write something cute. I DO expect to continue this in the future so you will be notified through your subscriptions when I do. Thanks for your support! xoxo**

**Apnea**

Letting Matilda nap for an hour calmed Ophelia. She sat there watching her, every little twitch and sigh, and it soothed her like no mutation on the planet could. As her daughter roused and she changed her diaper, Ophelia felt a low hanging dread seep into the room. Making her way back towards the Wishbone Lab, her anxiety sparked. She could feel rage and agitation emanating from Bruce. Without success she tried to calm herself enough to send pleasant emotions to him. Jogging around the corner she heard Bruce's angry voice, "Where? You rented my room!"

Director Fury spoke calmly as Ophelia entered and made her way to Bruce. "The cell was just-!" Bruce cut him off, his anger making her freeze to the spot only a few feet from him.

"In case you needed to kill me! But you can't! I know, I _tried_!" Ophelia's face fell in shock, and the whole group stopped arguing to gape at him. Matilda squirmed in her arms, reaching out to pull at Stark's shirt. Bruce looked down, realizing what he had said. Ophelia fought tears and slipped her free hand in his. "I got low. I didn't see an end so I put a bullet in my mouth and the other guy spit it out." His breathing became heavy, he turned slightly away from Ophelia and looked down.

"So I moved on, I started a new life. I focused on helping other people. I was good until you dragged me back into this _freak show_ and put everyone here at risk. You wanna know my secret, Agent Romanoff? You wanna know how I stay calm?" His eyes were crazy and as he spoke Ophelia watched in horror as he grabbed the scepter. Slowly she backed up and held Matilda tighter in her arms.

Her eyes darted to the movement of the two Agents reaching for their guns. "Bruce?" Ophelia whispered, her daughter frowning and pressing herself tighter to her mother. His head turned to look at her, the look on his face making her jump.

"Put down the scepter." Came Steve's steady voice. Bruce looked at him, then down, shock rippling over his face. He looked back up at the people in the room, no one moved, no one breathed. Then one of the computers went off and drew everyone's attention.

Ophelia brushed her fingers over Bruce's arm and he set the scepter back on the table. "Sorry, kids. You don't get to see my party trick after all." Bruce spoke softly as he walked through the group to check the screen that had made the noise. The room erupted in excitement of finding the Tesseract and then it quickly turned to arguments again. Watching Bruce remove his glasses and gape at the screen, Ophelia quickly set Matilda down and slipped beside him to touch his arm. The toddler scampered over to where Tony stood and reached up for him. Natasha walked towards them to see as well and Bruce hissed out his shock.

As he lifted his head to address the others an explosion was heard and the room shook. The blast threw everyone across the lab and Ophelia lost the breath she had taken to scream. Everyone flew in different directions, Fury and Thor fell to the ground behind a table. Glass shattered, Ophelia, Bruce and Natasha were thrown through the window behind them. They crashed down into a lower equipment room and Ophelia's world became darkness.

Tony and Steve were thrown through to the hallway. They quickly brushed off the shock, receiving the least damage. "Where's the kid?!" Steve shouted, panic thrusting through his chest.

"I got her," Tony gasped, "she's okay!" He looked down at the shellshocked infant. Her eyes were wide and she started to cry loudly. "Fury!" Stark shouted back into the room. The Director jumped over and took the child. "Don't worry squirt," Tony ruffled Matilda's hair as she sniffled. "I'll be right back." He then jogged off after Rogers to suit up himself.

Down below, Bruce growled, his mind foggy and pain searing through his body. Something soft moved beside him. "Ava…" he groaned, reaching out to touch her arm. She didn't respond, blood flowed down her face from her hairline. His body wretched towards her, fear, anguish, and anger surged through him.

Where was Matilda?

Was she breathing?

He can't tell if she's breathing.

His hands are numb, her skin is cold.

Or was his skin cold?

He was losing thought, his body curling atop her and his throat snarling. He could hear Natasha's voice vaguely, his hands gripping into fists. Bruce's head dipped, his eyes squeezing shut and his body convulsed. She was trying to talk him down, his panic was worsening with every word. He needed Ophelia, he needed his rock.

But was she dead?

"I swear on my life I will get you out of this, you will walk away, and never ever-!"

He cut Natasha off with a roar, "_your life_?!" He could feel the change coming, he couldn't stop it and his lungs let out a bellow. His shirt began to tear, pieces of it drifting down to land on Ophelia's still body.

xx

Ophelia was very disoriented, her eyes fluttering everywhere and her voice weakly calling out for her daughter. She clumsily pulled herself to her feet and stumbled forward. Lifting her hand to her face she gasped at the red blood shining on her fingers. "Bruce?" She called, long and desperately as she looked around her at the carnage. Not knowing what to do she made her way slowly to the main conference room they were in when they first boarded the helicarrier.

Tony Stark and Steve Rogers were already sitting at the large table. When Ophelia hobbled into the room they both rushed over. Tony was trying to calm the squirming Matilda, who wanted nothing but to get at her mother. Rogers reached out and grabbed Ophelia around the waist before she collapsed. He eased her into a chair and Tony solemnly sat on her other side. "Can we get a medic in here?" Tony yelled towards some personnel.

When the medic arrived Ophelia was trying to wrestle Matilda away from Tony with her weak arms. In defeat she allowed the nurse to clean her up and give her two stitches. She angrily refused to go to medbay and relied on Stark to defend her. "Tony she needs to go to the hospital!" Rogers growled.

"She doesn't and she won't," Tony hissed back, helping Matilda snuggle into her mothers lap once the medic had left. A calm rushed through the room and Tony smiled at Ophelia as she settled into her chair.

"That's irresponsible," Tony lifted his hand to stop Steve's argument.

"She's a mutant, she won't let them take her to medbay." The men stared at each other, Tony waiting for the Captain's understanding. The man nodded as the pounding footfalls of Director Fury sounded behind them. Ophelia narrowed her eyes as Agent Hill stood off to the side, the Director standing at the top of the table to address them. Her awareness was slowly coming back as Fury addressed them.

"These were in Phil Coulson's jacket." He pulled out a small deck of cards. "Guess he never did get you to sign them." Fury tossed them in the direction of Rogers. They scattered across the tabletop and had splatters of blood on them. Ophelia scowled, sensing his deception. He continued speaking however, and it gave her something bigger to scowl at. "We're dead in the air up here." He spoke solemnly but with determination. "Our communications, location of the cube, Banner, Thor. I got nothing for you. Lost my one good eye. Think I had that coming."

His words finished with a saddened tone and Ophelia let out a muted wail. Tony reached over to wrap his arm around her with a frown. When Fury spoke up again it was with authority. "Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract." As he spoke, Fury began to walk slowly around the table. "I never put all my chips on that number though, because I was playing something even riskier." He took a pause at the empty chair just right of Stark. Fury let his hands grip the back of it for a moment, making eye contact with each of them in turn.

"There was an idea, Stark knows this, called the Avengers Initiative." Fury began to move again, "the idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people," he rested his hands on the empty chair on the other side of Rogers. "See if they could become something more. See if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could. Phil Coulson died still believing in that idea, in heroes."

Tony stood abruptly, causing Matilda to jump. He quickly walked out and Ophelia could feel his anguish and anger. Fury just watched him leave and spoke in a sadder tone again. "Well, it's an old fashioned notion." There was a moment of silence before Steve Rogers stood up and followed.

"Come back alive, be safe." Ophelia called out. "Take care of Tony. Find my husband."

Steve flashed her a reassuring smile, "I plan on it." After a moment of silence, Fury turned to look at her. Just as he seemed to figure out what he was going to say Ophelia cut him off with a muddled threat.

"If I don't find my husband in good health, you're going to seriously regret crossing me." Anger produced her words but fear nestled in her gut. Sure Bruce could of taken off, Hulked out and freaked a little. But she wouldn't put it past SHEILD to lock him up for god knows what in the opportunistic scuffle earlier. Her arms wrapped tighter around Matilda. Wishing she had her husband to help protect her.

xx

Pain, intense pain and throbbing muscles. Bruce's body ached with that all too familiar pang. "You fell out of the sky." An aged male voice echoed from behind him. Bruce jolted himself awake, he could feel dust and debris covering his naked body. Strangely enough he wasn't afraid, just disappointed, maybe even angry at himself. But mostly exhausted.

Bruce forced his eyes to open, he let out a cough of dirt and squinted around in confusion. He forced the pain away as he sat up and shook his head. He couldn't feel or hear Ophelia so he forced himself to concentrate. He was on his own for the first time in almost five years and he needed to stay calm. Realizing there had been a voice earlier he turned his head to look behind him.

Spotting an elderly security guard Bruce let out a sound of pain and gripped his brow. Letting his fingers rub along his eyelids before looking back. "Did I hurt anyone?" Bruce's voice was small and coarse.

"There's nobody around here to get hurt. You did scare the hell out of some pigeons though." The man spoke nonchalantly as Bruce looked back down and tried to regain regulated breathing.

"Lucky." He pushed out, shaking his head again to calm himself. Nagging thoughts of his family rushed through him.

"Or just good aim. You were awake when you fell."

Bruce looked back quickly in shock, "You saw?"

"The whole thing, right through the ceiling. Big and green and buck ass nude. Here," the man tossed down a shirt and some old pants. Bruce let out a sigh of relief and began pulling on the pants quickly. "Didn't think those would fit you until you shrunk down to a regular size fella."

"Thank you." Bruce half smiled up at him.

The guard nodded, "Are you an alien?"

The man's question caught Bruce off guard, "What?" He asked while standing to pull the pants on.

"From outer space, an alien?"

"No."

"Well then, son, you've got a condition." Bruce paused and shot the man a strange look. He perked his eyebrows and smiled slightly, making a mental note to laugh with Ophelia about it later. A chill ran through his body. If she was even alive. If he hadn't killed her, if she could forgive him for losing control and leaving her. If he even had the strength to find her.

Pain clouded his mind as he began making his way down from the pile of rubble. Pulling on the shirt he looked around the warehouse to figure out where he had fallen. His mind tried to turn to its old recovery mode and push any thoughts of his family aside. Bruce began to walk away while buttoning up his shirt. "So," the man spoke up again, stopping Bruce in his tracks. "Which one is it?"

"Sorry?" Bruce choked out. He could of sworn he hadn't spoken aloud his inner turmoil at wanting to let his wife live a normal life. He was trying to decide if he was greedy enough to keep her locked away with him.

"Are you a big guy that gets all little, or a little guy that, ah sometimes blows up large?" As the guard spoke he moved his hands back and forth, demonstrating the sizes.

"You know," Bruce shot him a half smile. "I'm not even sure." He shook his head in amusement, realizing his worries were moot. That he should do what was best for Matilda and Ophelia and set aside his own condemnation.

"You got somewhere to go?" Yet again the guard interrupted Bruce's thoughts.

"Stark Tower." He shot out, automatically grasping for the mission at hand. "I- no." As Bruce shook his head sharply the guard shot him a knowing look. Bruce gave him a little nod, "Yes."

"I'd expect some confusion of the mind," the old man began to walk towards him. "Since your body's kind of all over the place," he gestured for Bruce to follow him. "But it has to be one or the other." Bruce looked at him with slight shock. His bluntness reminded him of Ophelia, lulling Bruce into enough of a relaxed state to utilize the mans understanding.

"I know where I could do the most good, but it's where I can do the most harm." Bruce mumbled while tucking the shirt into his baggy waistline.

"Well, that's no different than anybody else." The old man replied with slight humor. He led Bruce out a large set of doors and into the sublight. It blinded him for a moment before he could get a good look around. "Me? I'm here in Jersey where I can't do much of either. And since I'm not likely to move on from this placement, you may as well pilfer my ride."

Much to Bruce's surprise, the old man gestured to a just as equally aged motorcycle. "I don't know which way to go." He whispered back, his chest tight and his heart beating quickly.

"Your mind's already made up, son. The rest of you will follow."

xx

Ophelia had been brought food and Matilda had fallen asleep on a blanket she laid on the table after eating. Ophelia's eyes poked up discreetly to check they were completely alone in the conference room. Fury and his agents seemed to be busy with more pressing matters. She was reaching out to push a stray curl from Matilda's face when gasps from a few agents had her looking to the left at one of the large screens showing the news.

"Bruce!" Ophelia jumped up, startling her daughter out of her dazed nap on the table. As her mother walked towards the screen with horror on her face, Matilda sat up with her blanket wrapped around her and began to wail against her doll. Ophelia's eyes twitched as she swore she saw the Hulk turn his head and look around in confusion. Then he let out a roar and attacked another Chitauri. Matilda let out another cry and Ophelia was snapped back to attention.

"Daddy heard you…" she whispered, pulling the child into her arms. Bouncing the child gently against her chest, Ophelia soon had Matilda back into her nap and her cries silenced. "Something more primal than mommy's mutation has our family connected." Ophelia whispered into Matilda's hair. Fury then stormed through the room with an irritated look on his face.

"Sir, we have a bird in motion!" Agent Hill's voice yelled from the bridge. Ophelia rushed to the onlooking balcony to see Fury run out another door. "Anyone on the deck we have a rogue bird. We need to shut it down! Repeat, takeoff is not authorized!" Hill spoke sternly into her earpiece. Seconds later an explosion rocked from the direction Fury had taken off in, and then the telltale sound of a jet taking off.

"What's happening?!" Ophelia yelled down, Matilda grumbling on her shoulder. Agent Hill turned to look at her with pity when Fury ran back in.

"Stark, you hear me? You have a missile headed straight for the city." He growled into his own earpiece while turning to a computer screen. Ophelia let out a wail, dropping to her knees with sobs. Ophelia's body shook as she tried to hold in her panic. She looked down at her sleeping daughter, her round face blissful in ignorant sleep. Her sausage fists gripping both her doll and her blanket. The tell-tale curls her father had given her, a soft speckle of freckles across her nose and cheeks from her mother.

The emotional rollercoaster that derived from their spout with SHEILD was drawing Ophelia very thin. If she lost Bruce, she wouldn't know what to do. She was nearly laying down on the metal floor as the news flashed before them on every screen. All anyone on deck could do was watch Tony Stark attempt to change the path of the missile. When cheers erupted throughout the bridge, Ophelia nearly passed out against the cold metal of the railings.

xx

Her soft laughter echoed through the metal elevator doors. Bruce smirked gently, a little sideways fleeting movement. The tinkling chortles warmed his cheeks, even after all this time. The doors slid open to reveal their living room. Tony had won major brownie points with Pepper for letting the women design and decorate a whole floor for the Banner family. The glare they had given him when he tried to slip a lab in the guest bedroom would freeze a snowman. Bruce walked softly across the floor, careful not to draw Ophelia's attention away from the comedy she was watching.

Two boxes of uncooked spaghetti noodles sat on the kitchen island. He noted one was linguini and the other spaghetti while he slipped around the back of the couch. "Still too stubborn to admit you're wrong?" Bruce teased, settling himself beside his wife with a grin. Ophelia stuck her tongue out and nestled into his side, reaching up to tug at his short beard.

"I like linguini, at least I compromise." Bruce chuckled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, planting a kiss on her forehead.

"Its almost been a year." Bruce whispered. Letting out another giggle at the film Ophelia looked up at him and smiled.

"I wish you'd stop counting. I feel like we should have a big 'days without incident' counter by the elevator!" The duo laughed together, Ophelia reaching to turn off the movie. Bruce insisted he not ruin her fun, to which she shook her head and said she'd seen it a hundred times. Bruce made a mental note of another thing he loved about her, she laughed like it was the first time every time.

"I'm just so disappointed I had to let the Other Guy out." Bruce shivered, settling in closer to Ophelia and running his fingers along her other shoulder. Closing her eyes to enjoy the sensation she let out a sigh.

"Why do you act like he's not you?" She whispered, opening her eyes slightly to look at him. Still speaking they stood and Ophelia led the way to the kitchen. "You are the same person, both parts of you are my husband."

Bruce grabbed her waist gruffly, pulling her flush to his body. His eyes flashed green, "I'm your husband." Ophelia gasped at his tone, he was calm but his voice deepened so starkly. The irony burned her chest as his grip tightened. The popcorn was left to cool in the microwave while he proved her point further.

..

As their sweaty and tired bodies entwined and panted against each other a soft knock came at the door. "Be out in a minute!" Bruce called, turning back to his wife with a grin. She giggled and whispered for him to take a shower with her. He thought for a moment and then nodded like a child. Giggling wildly Ophelia grabbed his hand and pulled him into their ensuite.

Bruce turned the shower on while Ophelia combed out her knotted hair. His arms wrapped around her waist and he pulled her into the shower amongst more of her giggles. Turning in his arms they shared a kiss before she reached for his shampoo. "Tilt your head back," Ophelia whispered. Bruce smiled down at her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Smiling back she lifted her hands and ran them through his hair. He did as she instructed and she began lathering soap through the thick locks.

Bruce hummed in euphoria as she placed a couple kisses on his exposed neck. When she rinsed the soap out he tilted his head forward and caught her lips with his. With a giggle she pulled back and reached for his bodywash. A soft grin passed her face as she lathered his chest. His arms still tight around her, Bruce beamed down at her while she discreetly soaped him up and rinsed him off.

"Your turn," he whispered, feathering kisses down her jaw.

"It's okay," Ophelia whispered back. "You go dry off..." Bruce rolled his eyes and forced her to switch places with him so she stood under the water. A calm look passed her face as her skin warmed under the shower. He in turn ran his fingers through her hair, massaging in the shampoo and then her conditioner. When her hair squeaked between his calloused fingers he reached down for her soap. Unlike his wife, Bruce had a little trouble washing her discreetly. After swatting his hands away countless times, Ophelia was finally bending to turn the shower off.

It took them just as long to dry off, hushed flirting and mingled kisses distracting them. Ophelia was still gripping Bruce's hands and giggling with him as they walked into the main room. Their hair was moist from the shower and lips plump from use. "Well look at you two newlyweds." Pepper purred from her perch at the island. Matilda sat on the countertop playing with a stuffed elephant. Ophelia's blush deepened and Bruce cleared his throat.

"Hey Ava, mind if I steal hubby for a hot minute?" Tony grinned, he was leaning against the counter behind Pepper. "I've got these ladies all shopped out and ready to cook us a manly meal!" Pepper rolled her eyes and slapped his arm.

"If Brucie is up for it," Ophelia grinned, leaning against him a bit as they walked over.

"Tradesies!" He grinned, jumping up straight and rushing to the door. "Let's go big guy!" Bruce let out a sigh and a roll of his eyes.

"Have fun big guy," grinned Ophelia, giving him a kiss and a swat on his bottom as he walked away. She locked eyes with Pepper and they laughed loudly.

It took them almost an hour, but their supper and what was sure to be a week of leftovers was nearly ready when Matilda tugged at her mother's pants. "Tea time!" She squeaked, eliciting a giggle from Pepper.

"Tony bought her a porcelain tea set and promised they would have tea before supper." Pepper rolled her eyes at Ophelia. She in turn shook her head and stirred the noodles. "I'll go poke the dragon for you." Ophelia grinned and followed Matilda to where the set was waiting in its box.

..

"Oh God, my original wound I'm fourteen years old, I still have a nanny? That was weird." Tony squawked at a partially exhausted and horrified Bruce. Pepper shook her head as she walked into the doorway.

"You still had a nanny because you're a little hellraiser and I had to finish high school before I could take care of you!" Pepper laughed while giving him a nudge.

"Security breach! Pep this is man time!" Tony raised his hands and scowled. Pepper frowned at him and huffed, her hands balling up on her hips.

"No Tony, Princess Matilda decrees its tea time before we have supper! You promised when you bought her that hundred dollar tea set." Tony gawked at Pepper with sarcasm as she led the way back to the elevator.

"That plastic crap Ava had for her looked like it came from a second hand joint."

"It did." Bruce mumbled through a yawn.

Tony laughed, "exactly! The young majesty deserves nothing but the best!"

A few minutes later, Ophelia had almost set out the entire set when she heard Tony complaining behind her. "I'm just saying, if you plan on making it in the world of psychiatric assistance you'll need to learn not to nod off when someone is baring their soul to you!"

Bruce was about to moan out a rebuttal when Matilda squealed from the floor. "You couldn't wait until her birthday Tony?" Ophelia scowled as she came around the couch. "Such an expensive gift, and it's only four months from now!" Bruce smiled at her and planted a kiss on her cheek before settling down beside Matilda on the floor. With a grin she lifted the tea pot and poured out a tiny cup of water for him.

"God Ava that's forever away for an almost two year old. Do you want to wait four whole months for your new tea set Tillie?!" Tony teased while crouching down to look Matilda in the eye.

"No!" She giggled, pounding her meaty hands on the floor. "Sit Uhnuun!"

Ophelia laughed at her attempt at calling him uncle. "Yeah _Uhnuun Tony_, pop a squat!" She laced her arm around Pepper's waist and led her back around to the stove. Pepper smiled up at Ophelia, who was moving to stir the spaghetti sauce. Looking over at the two grown men sitting crosslegged while her daughter garbled on nonsense Ophelia smiled with a beaming joy. Bruce leaned back with a sigh, his hands on the wooden floor behind him. He craned his neck to grin at his wife and Ophelia bent forward to give him a lingering kiss. Tony let out a scoff and covered Matilda's eyes.


End file.
